Live Calendar
Harold Night
Oct 1
Harold Night

One suggestion leads to the creation of a whole new world of comedy.

Tickets: $8 at the door

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Queer/Ally Improv Jam!
Oct 1
Queer/Ally Improv Jam!

In celebration of Durham Pride weekend, LGBTQIA+-identifying and ally attendees are invited to participate in a free improv comedy jam.

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UNC Improv Show: What in Tar-Nation!
Oct 2
UNC Improv Show: What in Tar-Nation!

UNC's newest improv team, assembled from UNC’s ENGL 259 class, will perform monologues and scenes based on your suggestions and is guaranteed to delight you.

Admission is free!

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Wait, What’s Sri Lanka? A Stand-Up Comedy Special by Shenuque Tissera
Oct 2
Wait, What’s Sri Lanka? A Stand-Up Comedy Special by Shenuque Tissera

This show explores the joy of embracing all parts of your identity while navigating the pain of not feeling seen.

Buy tickets.

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Sounds Gay, I'm In
Oct 2
Sounds Gay, I'm In

Queer super-team laughs with a special guest artist!

Tickets: $9 at the door

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Advanced Study Musical Improv Class Showcase
Oct 3
Advanced Study Musical Improv Class Showcase

This high-energy showcase features students from Mettlesome Instructor Matthew Schmitz’s Advanced Study Musical Improv class! They’ll perform a fully improvised musical comedy, making up scenes and songs on the spot with live accompaniment.

Tickets at the door: $7

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PRIDE Short-Form Improv Show
Oct 3
PRIDE Short-Form Improv Show

It’s Durham Pride Weekend! A cast of improvisers will bring your suggestions to life for a hilariously good time. (Don’t worry, we’ll never pull you on stage unless you want to be there.)

Tickets: $8 at the door

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The Alphabet Hour
Oct 3
The Alphabet Hour

A Mettlesome all-queer cast takes the stage to turn personal, real-life experiences into unscripted comedy.

Tickets: $8 at the door

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Drag Comedy Hour
Oct 3
Drag Comedy Hour

In celebration of Durham Pride, Mettlesome's first-ever drag open stage will feature the talents of local drag performers!

Tickets: $9 at the door

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Golden Age
Oct 3
Golden Age

One location. A world of comedy.

The cast of Golden Age will showcase a whole world of characters all based on your suggestions.

Tickets: $9 at the door

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Sketch 301 Class Showcase
Oct 8
Sketch 301 Class Showcase

This showcase is the culmination of a seven-week sketch comedy deep dive from Daniel Duncan’s and Kara Phelps’ Sketch 301: Writing for the Stage class. Come see the graduates show off their comedic sketches!

Tickets at the door: $7

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UPCOMING SHOWS:

Lab Calendar
WORKSHOP: Taking the Joke Out Of Your Head and Bringing it to the Stage
Oct 3
WORKSHOP: Taking the Joke Out Of Your Head and Bringing it to the Stage

Learn about joke structure, writing tools, and elements of performance in this standup comedy workshop.

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WORKSHOP: Unlocking Potential with Shortform Improv
Oct 17
WORKSHOP: Unlocking Potential with Shortform Improv

In this workshop, you will learn a few classic shortform games, what makes them great, and how the skills within translate to longform.

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WORKSHOP: The Bat - Improv in the Dark
Oct 24
WORKSHOP: The Bat - Improv in the Dark

A crash course in "The Bat" improv form, just in time for Halloween.

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Improv 201: Game of the Scene [MONDAYS]
Oct 26
Improv 201: Game of the Scene [MONDAYS]

MONDAYS

Learn the core concepts of longform comedic improv. Students will cover scene-work mechanics and heightening the game of the scene.

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Improv 101: Intro to Improv [MONDAYS]
Oct 26
Improv 101: Intro to Improv [MONDAYS]

MONDAYS

Learn the basics of long-form improv.

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Sketch 101: Intro to Comedy Writing
Oct 26
Sketch 101: Intro to Comedy Writing

MONDAYS

Learn the basics of sketch comedy.

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Improv 101: Intro to Improv [TUESDAYS]
Oct 27
Improv 101: Intro to Improv [TUESDAYS]

TUESDAYS

Learn the basics of long-form improv.

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Improv 301: Improv Longform
Oct 27
Improv 301: Improv Longform

TUESDAYS

Create characters and worlds that combine to form a unified 25-minute longform improv piece.

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Clowning: Play, Presence, and the Poetry of the Ridiculous
Oct 28
Clowning: Play, Presence, and the Poetry of the Ridiculous

WEDNESDAYS

Step into the world of clown through the lens of physical theatre. Wednesdays.

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Advanced Study: JTS Brown
Oct 28
Advanced Study: JTS Brown

WEDNESDAYS.

CLASS DESCRIPTION HERE!!!!

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Improv 401: The Harold
Oct 29
Improv 401: The Harold

THURSDAYS

Building on the skills of 301’s game-driven longform, this class introduces students to openings and group games as key components of the Harold structure, a cornerstone improv form.

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Improv 201: Game of the Scene [SATURDAYS]
Oct 31
Improv 201: Game of the Scene [SATURDAYS]

SATURDAYS

Learn the core concepts of longform comedic improv. Students will cover scene-work mechanics and heightening the game of the scene.

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Sketch 201: The Writers' Room
Nov 3
Sketch 201: The Writers' Room

TUESDAYS

Continued exploration of writing sketch comedy. Learn additional common sketch structures, and workshop sketches weekly.

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2027 Classes Coming Soon!
Nov 4
2027 Classes Coming Soon!

New classes for Improv and Sketch Comedy will start in early January 2027.

Class registration will open by early December 2026!

Stay posted.

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UPCOMING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS:

Mettlesome strives to make our performances, classes, facilities, and website accessible to all people. If you have questions, need assistance, or require any accommodations, please email us at ops@thisismettlesome.com. In addition, please feel free to approach any staff member during your visit for support. We are here to help.

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